By denying climate activists the right to present their cases to a jury, judges are cutting democracy out of political trials

Political activists challenging the ascendancy of President Donald Trump are increasingly availing themselves of the criminal legal system as a means of defending their ideas and confronting government repression. From Inauguration Day protesters who have pledged to go to trial to combat unprecedented felony charges to climate campaigners seeking ratification of their anti-fossil fuel industry actions through the climate necessity defense, courtroom activism has become an important front for the grassroots opposition. But cases from the climate movement suggest a worrying trend: judges are denying climate activists the right to present their cases to a jury, effectively banning discussion of the world’s most pressing crisis from the courtroom.